Folding table with spring lock



Nov. 30, 1954 w. P. DE sAussuRauR 2,695,327

FOLDING TABLE WITH SPRING LOCK Filed May 27, 1953 FIG. 2.

FIG. I.

. INI EN TOR. WILLIAM F? DeSAUSSURE I: I BY 6%, PM, o 0%,

FIG. 3.

United States Patent O FOLDING TABLE WITH SPRING LOCK William P. DeSaussure, .lr., Englewaod, N. 3., assignor to William P. De Saussure HI,Englewood, N. 3., and the said William P. De Saussure, copartners, doingbusiness under the firm name and style of De Saussure Equipment West NewYork, N. J.

Application May 27, 1953, Serial No. 357,810

1 Claim. (Cl. 311--87) This invention relates to improvements in foldingtables in which the legs or other supporting members at each end of thetable are provided with rotatable and slidable means connecting them tothe table top. in general, the object of the invention is to simplifythe structure of this type of folding table which is made possible bythe use of round tubular metal stock in the construction of itssupports.

in the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is a bottom plan view of one end of a table embodying theinvention, with the supporting member at that end shown in its foldedposition.

Fig. 2 is a similar view with the supporting member in its erectedposition.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of a complete table constituting anotherembodiment of the invention and showing the supporting members (in thiscase straight legs) nested in their folded position.

Fig. 4 is a detail in perspective, and

Fig. 5 is a detail section taken on a plane denoted by 5-5 in Fig. 2.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the supporting member, denoted generally bythe numeral 10, at each end of the table consists of a structurecomposed entirely of tubing, the upper end of which structure has twolaterally projecting rounded tubing ends 11, 12. These projecting endsare received in closed spaces formed by the table top and the flanges ofangle-plates 13 which are parallel to the table top and are secured toand in a predetermined spaced relation with the table top. The distancebetween the table top and said flanges is slightly in excess of thediameter of the said rounded tubing ends, so that the latter will have afree fit between the table top and said flanges whereby the table topand flanges will, in effect, provide guiding tracks along which saidends may slide and rotate freely toward stops 15. The upper ends ofthese supporting members are connected to the table on each side bylinks 14. Thus when the supporting members are moved from their foldedpositions to erect the table, and vice versa, the rounded tubing ends11, 12 will both rotate and slide along and within the enclosed spaceformed between the table top and said flanges. At the inner end of thesespaces, the flanges 13 are bent toward the table top, as denoted at 15,to form tapered stops which check further extension of the supportingmembers after they have reached their normal extended position, and,through wedging action, eliminate play or lost motion. The frictionbetween the projecting rounded ends 11, 12 and the angle-plates 13 willbe suflicient to hold the supporting members in their folded position.

With this construction, a table of the type aforesaid can bemanufactured from raw stock with a minimum amount of shaping, fitting,machining and other operations.

Acting in conjunction with said tapered stops 15 is a locking device tomaintain the corresponding supporting member rigidly fixed when in itsextended position. This device comprises a lever 16 pivoted at one end17 to the table top and a spring 18 which causes the other end of thelever to press continuously against the upper end of said supportingmember. This lock, as applied here, is particularly advantageous sinceit tends to prevent collapse of the legs even though, when the table iserected, the lever, through inadvertence, is not pushed completely home;for as the supporting member nears its erected position, the action ofthe spring automatically becomes non-reversible due to multiplication ofpower through the leverage involved and the spring tension, and thuscauses the lever to work into a more secure locking position as thetable is handled, notwithstanding the carelessness of those engaged inthe operation. The length of this lever is such that when saidsupporting member has reached its normal position against the taperedstops it will be substantially perpendicular to said supporting memberand this will hold the latter rigidly in that position. When thesupporting member is to be moved from its erected position to its foldedposition, the lever is moved manually out of contact therewith,whereupon said supporting member may be retracted toward the table top.

In Fig. 3 the supporting members at the end of the table consist ofstraight legs; and a complete table is illustrated to show that in thisembodiment of the invention, the legs may be nested in their foldedposition and can be held in that position by frictional contact withside links 14.

I claim as my invention:

A folding table having at opposite ends a support the upper part ofwhich is slidably attached to the table top, in combination-with adevice for locking the support in its erected position, said lockingdevice comprising a lever pivoted to the table top and a spring attachedto the lever and causing the free end of the latter to bear continuouslyagainst the support at a single point and to lock the support positivelyagainst collapse when the support has reached its erected position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 493,021 Franks Mar. 7, 1893 915,061 Arnt Mar. 16, 1909 923,500.Drees June 1, 1909 1,063,642 Birdsall June 3, 1913 2,178,248 BristowOct. 31, 1939 2,326,461 Howe Aug. 10, 1943 2,542,394 Cohen et al Feb.20, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 16,821 Great Britain 19 06

